Rouge
by attackingsirens
Summary: With an eight year war raging on, a mysterious woman by the name Edith unites with Noctis to defeat the menus behind the war. But there are somethings that are unclear about who Edith really is.
1. I

A/N: I get interested in new things althere time, it's a bad thing! I'm sorry but I am determined to go through with this story and I will do my best! If I don't you can throw rocks at me. T.T enjoy this!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy Versus XIII but I own my OC and the story.

;;_

Her heavy boots caused the wooded floor beneath her to creak as her steps became harsh. She stopped in her tracks and saw scattered pieces of glass across the floor. The window frames empty and destroyed.

"Abandoned," a deep horse voice came behind her. "Seems like the whole town is."

"Do you think everyone was killed?" another playful voice asked.

"Not everyone," the girl finally spoke; her voice sad. "Some had a chance to escape."

The two males behind her shifted uncomfortably at her words. She heard footsteps leave their spot; however she didn't react to them.

"Why are we here?" the horse voice spoke. "It's perfectly clear Des has already been here." Anger poured in his words.

"He's going back- round up more troops for the attack," she informed. "It's better to try and defeat him now when he has a few soldiers by his side." she paused. "We can't let him get near the kingdom."

Silence crept between them. Her transparent orange hued eyes took in all the destruction of the town. It was in ruins and dark gray fog concealed the town. The wind whistling was the only noise and sent her scarlet hair in a slight frenzy. The tan man behind her cleared his throat snapping her out of her daze.

"Edith," he said roughly. "We need to figure out how we're going to ambush Des." he scratched the back of his head, curious at her ominous silence.

Edith stared intensely at the ground. A few loose pebbles vibrated and detached themselves from the ground.

"Edith we sh-" his sentence was stopped short as she quietly hushed him, lifting her arm up to empahsis silence more.

As her tan partner was about to speak, he felt his rather muscular arm get yanked. "Get down," he heard her say in a hushed tone. They backed up against the destroyed window frames as dozens of soldiers stomped their way on the streets. Dust clouded up their vision but Edith still knew the insignia that resided on their armor. She watched them pass with pure malice in her eyes. Her muscular partner watched as her features became dark. He saw her eyes clog up with pure hatred and her body seemed tense.

"Des' troops," Edith spoke as the last of the soldiers passed them. Her jaw was clenched beyond pain but she didn't mind it. She noticed she was left one less partner. She looked at the tan man; his hands balled up into fists. "Leo," she began. The tone of her voice caused his eyebrows to narrow as a response. "Where's Avel?"

Leo's body unclenched at her question and he straightened up. He looked around for the smaller male named Avel. "Avel!" he called out. Silence was among them for a few seconds until a ruffling in the story above them caught their attention.

"Yeah?" the not as low voice spoke. Both Leo and Edith exhaled their worries as his voice crept from upstairs.

Leo got a running start and aimed up the broken stairs. Edith lagged behind him going at a rather slower speed. A low laugh echoed in her ears causing her to halt in horror. She stayed paralyzed as the realization of whose the devilish laugh belong to.

She watched as Leo galloped towards the stairs. She tried stopping him, calling out to him and Avel. Her throat rejected her words. She inched herself closer and closer to the staircase trying to break free from the paralysis. Leo stopped in midstride and turned to see horror struck in Edith's face. Her lips parted slightly and quivered.

That's when it hit her, the reason why she started the hunt. She couldn't allow the war to escalate further. She witnessed the beginning of the war and the aftermath of destruction. Eight years into the war and Des had the upper hand. Two kingdoms were under his control, one was in complete ruin, and two were left standing. Her hands balled up.

A static sound rang in Leo and Edith's ears and caused them to stay still. Not a second passed and an agonizing scream pierced the room. Leo and Edith darted hurriedly up the flight of stairs. Their eyes fell upon their partner suspended in air and a tangle of wires constricting his body. His face was painted in pain as electricity coursed, unwantingly, through his body. The devilish laugh roared behind Avel.

"Edith," Des spoke in pure amusement. Edith felt disgusting by the sound of her own name coming out of his lips. "How nice it is to see you." a grin stretched across his pale face.

Another scream escaped Avel's throat as the electric shocks grew more intense.

"Let him go Des!" Leo demanded sternly.

A growl emanated from Edith's throat. She quickly unsheathed her mildly large blade. She lunged herself at the menus and found sparks as his long sword blocked her attack. She looked wide eyed at the man, astonished that he matched her speed, even with one hand occupied. Perhaps fear consumed her.

She took her eyes off him and followed the long arm that held Avel suspended in air. The wires constricted tighter around his thin toned body. Bruises housed his exposed flesh. His pain no longer released in screams, they only came out as mild whimpers. The electricity that emanated from the wires of the device caused his body to jerk involuntarly. A wave of guilt electrified Edith as she saw her companion's body go limp with every shock; his eyelids drooped.

In a swift movement, she sheathed her blade and whipped out her guns, aiming her shot to Des' device. With a trembling thud, Avel's body laid motionless. She shoot rapid bullets at Des, which ultimately he blocked effortlessly with his sword. After a few gunfires, the battle stayed still; each one reading the others movements.

"Edith," Leo whispered. He saw that there was no acknowledgment as she remained breathless. Her fists white as her fingers were tightly wrapped on each of the triggers. She was trembling, but her features showed no sign of fear; it was anger. "Get to Avel. I'll hold him off as long as I can." his words startled Edith but before she could question, Leo lunged himself towards Des, his oversized sword in hand.

Edith watched as Leo blocked Des' attacks but it was out numbered by how many times he got slashed. There was a trembling whimper coming from the broken body that laid a few yards away from her. She trotted over to her fallen companion. His face had paled and his eyes laid on her but didn't take in what the were looking at.

"Avel, Avel," Edith called out frantically. Her voice sounded like distant mumbles to Avel's ears. Her desperate movements seemed slow. "Stay with me!"

Avel struggled to fight his eyelids request to close. Looking passed his silver bangs, he could see she looked troubled. Her hands explored his bruised flesh; he winced at the contact. As she shuffled through her clothes retrieving the diamond, a cold hand ceased her actions. Edith shifted her eyes to the silver head's face; a weak smile rested on his lips.

"Defeat Des." the playful tone in his voice mixed with a sense of seriousness. His smile began subsiding; his hand loosing its grip on her arm until finally dropping, leaving its warmth where he held her. Edith's eyes possessed a watery texture; in a failed attempt to hold them back, tears streamed down her cheeks.

She bid him a last promise and as the anger pulsed through her, she returned back to the battle, once more firing rapid bullets at Des. Leo retreated back and stood slumping next to Edith. His chest rose and dropped at an accelerating speed trying to catch up to normal breathing. Leo looked at Edith's features, fury tainted her eyes with a hint of depression. It was like he had seen the recent events inside her mind; he let out a pained scream and charge at the smirking enemy in front of them.

Effortlessly, Des blocked his attack. Leo delivered more and more blows, aimlessly but were sadly blocked by the nemesis' sword. Edith, as an assist, began shooting rapidly. They were failing miserably; Des held the mimicking smile.

Without warning, Des' movements became unreadable. In a blur, he immobilized Leo, leaving him forgotten, bleeding on the ground. Edith began scanning her eyes around, searching for the disappeared Des.

She caught sight of a sword's reflection but before she could act, blood began to spill out of the wound that formed across her chest and stomach. Her knees gave out underneath her and her cheek collided with the ground.

"You failed to keep yourself and those useless partners of yours alive," Des seethed. Edith twitched at the sound of his words. Des vanished, leaving only the illusion he was still there.

Edith caught sight of Leo's motionless body. She slowly dragged herself to him, leaving a trail of blood behind her. She grabbed his arm and with the little energy she had left shook his body.

"Leo," she struggled. "Leo get up." There was no response, only air filled her ears. She felt the coldness of his skin. "Leo.." her voice cracked at the realization. "Wake up.."

The diamond that hung by a thin chain around her neck began slowly stitching up her gash. She herself quickly vanished and reappeared on a roof top. Passed her bangs, her blurry vision made out the back of Des.

"You think you can defeat me?" Des teased.

Edith lunged at him, her mildly large blade unsheathed. Once more, he blocked it. Her failed movements caused her gash to reopen, spilling blood on the concrete. A devilish grin drew on Des' lips sending chills down Edith's spine.

He impaled his sword into her stomach; as a result, a pained scream escaped her lips. He drew his sword back; blood stained its blade. She once more fell to the floor beneath her.

Edith, the little she could make out, saw Des' legs retreat. She had failed. All the vulnerable spots she had been able to find of him, were impossible to hit them directly.

A little mute, she heard struggle and blades crossing. Her eyes could not distinguish anything. After a few seconds, everything was silent but footsteps approaching her broke the stillness. The legs came into her blurred vision.

'Get up,' she mentally told herself. Her body refused her request and her eyelids started drooping upon her orange hued eyes. 'Get up,' she demanded as the legs were less than a yard away. 'Get..up..' and with the last mental request, she fell into a deep pit of black.


	2. II

Noodle, a new chapter! I hope y'all like it! Enjoy!

The Prince gripped the hilt of his sword tighter as he saw the nemesis flee from their fight. He bared his teeth; before he could go after Des, a figure distracted him. The raven knotted his eyebrows together. He cautiously edged closer to the figure. It was still, immovable. A sword laid unused a few inches from the figure's hand. It was a curious sword; it curved and the guard wrapped along the bottom of the sword.

He crouched down to the entity; it was a woman. Her slender body was bruised in some sort of battle. He carefully pushed away her scarlet hair from her face. She was young, although not much younger than him. His eyes flicked as there was a slight movement of her body. It was faint but there was a modest size rise and fall of her body; she was breathing. He bit down on his lower lip; he couldn't leave her. He careful slipped his arms under her, turning her over, and hoisting her in his arms. She didn't stir but her face scrunched as pain shot through her. Careful he didn't move her too much, he picked up her fallen sword.

Edith's body felt heavy, and her eyelids felt heavier. She slumbered a dreamless sleep; pain was her only companion. Her subconscious reject her wake and clung to her in desperation. Yet there was something that kept tugging her. It was a voice; a voice that spilled out muffled words and swarmed around her. The more she ignored it, the louder it got; however, the less she understood it. She was in the middle of a tug o war between unconsciousness and the voice.

Then she saw an image. Her mother, it was her mother holding a smile on her thin lips. Her mother's face was graceful. There was just her smile and her eyes that gleamed in tranquility. Her lips began to slightly depart from on another and move flowingly; she was speaking. Edith couldn't decipher the words, they came out deaf to her.

The air that lacked her body had suddenly been rushed into Edith's lungs as she sat up choking on the oxygen. Her eyes scanned her surroundings. It wasn't the previous settings she remembered; the abandoned house she and her deceased friends had arrived to, or the rooftop where her and Des had quarreled in.

'How did I get here..' she thought, eyes wide at the realization.

She tried standing up but her legs quickly gave out underneath her and a wave of pain shot through her. She placed her hand on her stomach in hopes of taking some of the pain; she could feel the warmness of the blood through her clothes, yet she couldn't feel the source. She somehow felt colder; she had been unclothed of her leather jacket.

Her orange hued eyes look around to find no one; she was alone. A reflection hit her cheek and her head snapped in the direction; it was her unsheathed sword laying neatly on the concrete. It had a little flaws going up its blade but the name engraved on it was unmistakable. Her holsters were removed and sat along side her sword; her guns remained in their secure place.

She slowly propped herself up with her elbows and stretched her arm towards her blade. Heavy footsteps halted her actions for a few seconds and they drew closer. Acting on impulse, she snatched up her blade and charged at the silhouette striding towards her. Once she felt the body collide with hers, her blade made its way to the entity's neck. Her sights slowly adjusted to the lighting and orange eyes meet cobalt eyes. Her stance went limp as she stared in awe at the deepness of the eyes.

The features of the face were of a man, and no flaw resided on his face. His eyebrows narrowed at the center as he stared at the girl's face, trying to read her intentions. He noticed her actions softened. Her eye color was certainly peculiar. Her eyebrows centered and the animosity in her eyes returned.

"Who are you? Where's Des?" Edith demanded.

His eyes shifted away from her, avoiding eye contact. "I don't know," he spoke. His voice was deep and smooth.

Edith tightened her jaw and fisted his coat. "What do you mean you don't know," she seethed at him.

"He esca-"

"You let him go?" she yelled. Her blade pressed closer to his neck, indenting his flesh. His cobalt eyes shifted back to her. His face was nonchalant, indifferent even but his eyes looked apologetic.

She exhaled uneasily and recomposed herself and sheathed her blade. Her fist loosened its grip on his clothes and she faced away from him. He observed her movements but did not speak; instead, he followed up with her steps. She slowly seated herself where she once laid.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice mellow but low.

The man stood in front of her and observed her. Her face was distraught and battle tainted. Her hand would swiftly clutch her wound. She kept her eyes to the busted concrete underneath. She was odd; her voice was lower than expected and it held a certain roughness to it. After a few seconds of silence, he exhaled, preparing for the explanation.

"In the middle of Des and I's fight, he quickly fled," he began.

"You didn't bother going after him?"

"I would have, but then I had come across your body," he explained. "For a moment, I thought he had killed you but it seems I was wrong. I brought you here and I have been waiting for you to wake up."

"How long have I been unconscious?" Edith asked, biting her lip.

He looked away from her. His eyebrows narrowed. "Well over a day," he nonchalantly said.

Edith closed her eyes shut and exhaled in frustration. Her fists began clenching beyond pain. "That means Des has already rounded up his troops." He looked at her in curiosity.

"How much do you know about Des?"

She gave him with a puzzling look but her eyebrows lifted in anticipation. She had been tracking Des for years and each time she kept coming too close. She had figured out his vulnerabilities and weak points but she could never hit them accurately. She knew his plans and how many soldiers followed him. She was no fool, now that she was alone, it would be next to impossible to defeat him. He had youth to his advantage and his drive for domination. He was wicked.

She finally sighed. "Too much."

The man's eyes narrowed at her. He observed her gestures; her face was calm but her eyes showed signs of stress and grief. Her body seemed tense. She finally stood up and located her leather jacket, correctly throwing it on herself and secured her holsters on her thighs. She turned to see the man suddenly turned away from her and murmurs came from his mouth. His arm came to his face but she couldn't see for what purpose. His voice was too low and too soft for her to comprehend. He inconspicuously tilted his head and turned back around. She drew closer to him trying to get into hearing range. He turned back around and laid eyes on her. His arm was back at his side, shoving an item into his pocket. She titled her head out of curiosity. He propped his eyebrows at her.

"Are you leaving?" he asked.

"There's an army heading over the next kingdom," she began. "They need to be taken down before they get there."

"You're planning on taking down an army, by yourself?" he question, cocking an eyebrow.

"I've taken down plenty of Des' troops," she bit down on her lip. "Well not alone."

"Noctis," he introduced. Edith looked at him, her eyebrows narrowed. "My name is Noctis." As his was about to extend his arm for a greeting, she turned away from him. Her rudeness didn't faze him, but it disturbed him. He continued to observe her; she appeared to have some sort of internal conflict. She flickered her eyes back at him.

"Edith," she introduced. Her introduction pleased him.

"Edith, what if I were to help you take down the army?"

I really don't think I portrayed Noctis correctly, and I do apologize. I need tips, I also need a name for his kingdom. Ah noodles.


	3. III

I realize that in the last chapter there were some words that were mixed up. That is my bad, that's what happens when you type to fast on an ipad and don't go back and check.. Anyways here's another chapter! It's not that exciting, it's building up! ..kinda. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy Versus XIII, only my OC and plot.

**Edith strutted out of the shadows of the abandoned building and into the blinding sun. She squinted her eyes and lifted her arm to cover her eyes. She was garbed in her black leather jacket that was unevenly sleeved and as for the complexion of the jacket- it was rather easy to move in. It did not restrain her nor stop her movements short. A visible black undershirt was cut low exposing the upper part of her breasts. A belt was secured underneath them but it served as a sheath. Her pants were of a dark navy material and at mid thigh, held her holsters. An inch below her knees were black boots. Black leather gloves covered her hands only leaving her index finger exposed. On her right forearm was a white band around it. Her attire complimented her figure perfectly. A thin chain hung from her neck and silver gripped around a diamond that was half concealed between her breasts. Noctis followed behind her. He was clothed of a black leather coat that was zipped up, exposing his neck. Black gloves encased his hands. Pouches were secured on a belt around his waist and descended to his hip and he wore black pants that stopped a little above his combat boots. **

"So, you're having your team come and meet us?" she asked, snapping her head over her shoulder. He quickly caught up with, walking in sync with her steps. He simply nodded his head. "If they're your team why didn't they join you when you confronted Des?"

"They aren't just my team," he began. "They're close friends of mine. Des is cruel man, I was eliminating the risk of something happening to them." Edith cast her eyes to the floor. Her mind began to process a mistake she might have made. She quietly sighed and caused Noctis to flick his eyes to her. He felt rather uneasy as the scarlet head became silent. His nerves were unsettling and his hands heated up. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she simply answered. She snapped her eyes straight forward again; her lips pressed together in a line. They weren't tugged down into a frown, they remained neutral. His nerves were on edge, he couldn't think of what to say to her. "Tell me," she began; however it seemed as if she was talking to an unseen entity in front of her. "Have you ever fought Des' army?"

"I've only fought a few soldiers so I'm not familiar with them," he admitted. She raised an eyebrow at his answer and scoffed. "Have you fought them?"

"Yes, thousands," she answered. "How many times have you encountered Des?"

"Only a handful of times."

Edith stopped in her tracks and looked at him curiously; Noctis stopped as well and observed her. "If you have encounter Des or his army a few times , what's your reason going after him now?"

He narrowed his eyebrows at her question; it was odd that she didn't know who he was. He avoided confirmation of his thoughts. "The kingdom where I'm from has not been effected-"

"How very fortunate, but playing hero will get you killed, Noctis," she insulted. He ignored her remark.

"You mentioned, you weren't alone," he commented. She slightly winced at his words.

"I had partners," she bit down on her lip. A tingle surged through her chest and caused her to bite into her lip harder. She let her swelled lip go. "They were dear friends of mine." She turned her eyes to his curious face. His lips parted from one another. "I have personal business in taking Des down."

An engine revving filled her ears and a black car speeding towards them came in sight. She stood frozen as it immediately broke off into a slower pace causing to tires to screech. It finally came to an abrupt stop. She heard Noctis exhale at the action and shook his head.

"-You talking about I'm a great driver," a playful voice spoke; a smirk smacked onto his words. Edith saw as three men exited the car. The bigger man of all of them punched him, causing him to subside the smirk of his. The action lingered in Edith and she stood frozen; it seemed too familiar. She observed the four males greeting each other. The smirking blonde rested his gun on his shoulder and intentionally cracking inappropriate remarks causing Noctis irritation.

Their appearance stamped in her mind. The blonde was garbed of a sleeveless vest and white under shirt. The white one seemed to bring out the muscles in his abdomen. His blonde hair dominating on one side and a smirk marked his lips. The bigger man held his raven hair pushed back, exposing his face. A noticeable scar residing on his face and scruff traced his jawline. His arms seemed muscular than the rest of the men and his hands were balled up into fists. His face however contradicted his large build; it was not rough as expected, it was lively. The other man had a serious vibe. His white collared shirt underneath the cardigan was unbuttoned at the top, revealing a smooth chest. Two tiny lines creased in between his eyebrows as they furrowed and alined with his square glasses.

"Well well," the playful voice broke her out of her observations. "Who is this?" she looked up to find the blonde approaching her, smirking. Avel's voice had mixed in with the stranger's; she stayed frozen until her lips slightly curled. The blonde halted in his tracks, awed by her appearance. Her hair was a deep scarlet and some strands framed the sides of her face. Her eyes were a piercing orange hue. Her looks were simple; yet her simplicity was sublime.

"Edith," she responded with a fair voice. His eyebrows propped up; her voice was lower than he expected. He shook his head, regaining his sly nature and threw an arm around her shoulders. It struck Edith that his presence was all too familiar.

"Edith, hmm?" he repeated. "What are you doing with a girl, huh, Noctis?" he teased. He bellowed a laugh when he received a growl from the raven.

"There's an army heading towards the kingdom," Noctis informed. "We're bringing them down, all of us."

"Ah, and here I thought you were looking for your princess," the blonde laughed. Edith snapped her eyes raven, who was staring intensely at the blonde. She was starting to piece information together and she noticed a sort of shimmer surround Noctis. The blonde's voice snapped her back. "Well, I'm Prompto," he introduced. "The looks of the group!"

"Don't get cocky Prompto," the scarred man said making Edith chuckle. He extended his arm to the scarlet head, giving a smile; she placed her hand in his. His hand encased around hers, keeping a firm grip yet gentle no to hurt her. "Gladiolus."

"Come on, we have to go," they heard the raven call.

Prompto let her to the car, still keeping his arm around her. An unknown hand gripped the handle and opened the door for her. She looked up to see the serious man holding the door for her.

"Nice meeting you Miss Edi-"

"Just call me Edith," she corrected him with a small smile.

"If you wish," he said. The glare of the sun on his glasses hid his eyes from her. "My name is Ignis."

**A/N: I am not liking how I am portraying Noctis! I edited this chapter more than three times and I'm still not satisfied. I'm hoping Edith is becoming a bit of a mystery. **


	4. IV

This weekend was a hard time for me so I didn't upload this sooner. But it's here now! I'm wondering if I'm doing an awful job at writing because I haven't been getting reviews. ):

Oh! This chapter and the next are focusing mainly on Edith, Prompto, and Gladiolus together.

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy Versus XIII only Edith and plot.

A bickering argument set a much more peaceful mood than it should have been. The two males beside her barked at each other about something she muted out. She stared at the the passing world; the speed of the car was above appropriate but she did not mind it. Ignis' eyes were fixated on the path ahead; his lips moved occasionally, conversing with Noctis. She attempted to eavesdrop but their conversation was inaudible; defeated, she sighed. A reflection soon drew her attention to the outside. Its lips were pressed together in a fine line. Its eyes were glasses over but something seemed out of place. She stared intensely at the entity's eyes, she recalled they were once cobalt, now they were a deep crimson. A silent gasp fled her mouth.

'His eyes, they're-'

"Edith!" Prompto yelled. "Don't I look stronger than this idiot?" Edith turned her head to find the blonde flexing the muscles in his arms. The skin stretched as the muscles expanded underneath. She couldn't help but let her lips part from another.

"Quit showing off, will ya!" Gladiolus retorted. "I'm twice your size without flexing." The scarred man folded his arms across his chest, his muscles jolted. Edith couldn't help but snicker as they began their argument once more. She saw as Ignis' chest heavily dropped as he exhaled in frustration. She felt a familiar sense inside her. Her burden had somehow muted in the depth of her mind; weight seemed to be lost. A crooked smile tugged on the corner of her lip but it quickly vanished before any one noticed.

"Where precisely are we headed, Edith?" Ignis asked, adjusting his glasses.

"It's hard to say," she admitted, gripping the ends of her bangs. "Take route to the next kingdom."

"Next kingdom?" Prompto repeated. "You mean Noctis' kingdom?" She noticed the raven's eyes shoot to the rear view mirror, glaring at the blonde. She narrowed her eyebrows.

"Yeah, _his_ kingdom." she confirmed. Ignis added more acceleration to the already fast speed. She looked at the two males beside her; she hid her smile caused by the jokes and insults they threw at one other. She snapped her eyes at Ignis who sighed in frustration at their conversation. She snapped her eyes once more at the mirror outside, Noctis held his hand to his face. His face had a bored expression but his eyes showed contentment. An ache trembled in her. "Des' army is ruthless," she said roughly. "I can take them down on my own, perhaps you should drop me off and-"

"You crazy?" Prompto interrupted. "We aren't gonna leave you alone to take down those bastards by yourself!"

"Do you know anything about Des' army?" she snapped. "There isn't enough time to tell you everything I know."

"We'll be okay," the blonde smirked. "We'll follow your lead."

"How many troops did your partners and yourself take down?" Noctis questioned.

"Thousands-"

"And there's more of us now," he interrupted. Edith tensed at the mention of her partners. "We can handle it." She scoffed at his confidence.

"You don't know that," she mumbled.

Her gaze went back to the window; the outside moved in a blur. She refrained from looking at the reflection but she was curious. Crimson had replaced the cobalt in his eyes. She shook out the thought. Something felt strange, she could feel an abnormal vibration that was not caused by the rumble of the vehicle. She had somehow known this. She glanced at the windshield but saw nothing. The vibration was getting profound; however, none of the males noticed.

"Stop," she demanded. Ignis snapped his eyes to the mirror, seeing her gaze passed the windshield. Her orange hued eyes narrowed, straining her sight; they searched for something. "I said stop."

"What's wrong?" Ignis asked cautiously.

"They're close," she said, dryly. There was a hint of anger in her voice but it did not overwhelm it and her face showed no sign. Ignis complied, slowing down his speed. Before the vehicle came to a complete stop, Edith daringly jumped into the outside. Her stride continued as she heard the doors slamming and footsteps coming towards her.

"What's going on Edith?" Prompto asked. His hand gripped his shotgun and rested on his right shoulder.

She stayed quiet, narrowing her eyes to see farther ahead. The men around her became curious, looking at her and then following her gaze. The vibration beneath her feet had intensified. In sight was a long moving strip. It was getting bigger. Edith's eyes darkened at the sight.

"Get ready." her voice was lower than normal.

The strip of soldiers grew wider and many followed behind the first row of them. Edith gripped her guns, turning her knuckles white. Rage boiled in her blood; the insignia on their armor was clear. Her vision started to darken and teeth gritted. Guns started being unholstered, prepared to attack.

"Edith," Noctis called out. She snapped her eyes in his direction. "You are going with Prompto and Gladiolus to take down the east side."

Edith rolled her eyes at his request. She had taken down many troops; this fleet was nothing compared to many others. Her body was trembling; she was eager to get rid of Des' army. The few soldiers he had, the vulnerable he would get. She smirk at the idea of defeating him. Making him pay for everything he had done. Perhaps death was too good of a punishment for him. She internally laughed, she didn't give a damn.

She finally scoffed. "I can take some down by myself."

As she stretched her leg, marching to the army only to be stopped by a hand on her shoulder. The hand grasped her and spun her around. Her piercing orange eyes looked with liquid crimson. The color startled her. Her heart sank but her body showed no physical fact of it; she kept her solid stance. She glared back into his eyes; she missed the cobalt dye of his eyes. They enchanted her nonetheless.

"You will go with them," Noctis demanded. "It's an order."

She bared her teeth at him, holding back a growl. She jerked her shoulder out of his grip, giving her back to him.

"Fine Prince," she responded, monotonously. She saw him cringe. "An order is an order." She turned to her assigned partners. They're faces marked with heed. She bit her lip and the look in her eyes change. She turned away from them and stalked off. "Let's go."

Prompto and Gladiolus glanced at each other and marched behind her. Edith heard the footsteps following her, but chose not to acknowledge it. She closed her eyes. She pictured Avel and Leo walking behind her, cracking witty remarks at each other. She heard the two males mumbling behind her. She imprinted the noticeable difference in their voices.

"Damn," Gladiolus mumbled. "There's a lot of them."

"Yeah, Edith, should we come up with some sort of plan?" Prompto questioned.

Edith bit her lip. She turned her head, trying to find the other two males but they weren't in sight. The pack of soldiers dividing in half; they were getting closer. The number of troops multiplied and it put her in stress. "There's no time," she responded. "Just get as close to them as possible. They won't use their guns if your close." She glance at Prompto who was fidgeting with his gun and Gladiolus proudly wiped his large sword out. "Aim and shoot as quick as you can," she addressed the blonde. He nodded in response.

"Just get close to them right?" Gladiolus repeated. He grinned when Edith confirmed.

"Also stay close to me" she added. As they continued stalking towards the stomping army, Edith trembled both in eagerness and nervousness. She looked back at her new partners; she bit down on her lip once more and looked straight towards the army. "One more thing," her voice broke out. The two males looked at her as she took her pause. "Be careful."


	5. V

Ah, another chapter! This is my attempt to write a fight scene. Anyways, enjoy and please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy Versus XIII, but I own Edith and plot.

;;-

"One more thing, be careful."

Had she uttered the words correctly? The men behind her blinked in confusion. The scarlet head before them was cold, but it was the ache in her chest who had spoken. She truly did not want anything happening to them; she had lost to much to afford the death of Prompto and Gladiolus. It was their familiar presence that lingered inside her, but she shook her head refusing to acknowledge the fact. Her hand fisted the hilt of her blade and quickly unsheathed it. As they got closer, the soldiers in front and second row propped on one knee and started aiming at them. She looked back at the two males who were staring at her in concern which caused her to exhale.

"Let's go," she demanded roughly.

They sprinted toward the army. Bullets buzzed around them as they evaded them. Edith swiped her blade to the soldiers taking them down. She turned her sights to a standing soldier, who aimed his gun to her. She acted quick, kicking him in the chest knocking him down. She ran her sword across him, completing in immobilizing him. Soldiers in front of her tumbled to the ground as bullets made their way into their metallic armor. Gladiolus swung his large sword around, bringing down a multitude of soldiers. His fighting style was something Edith had never witnessed, but she shrugged off the thought. Concern got the best of her, she kept corner sights on the two males.

She sheathed her blade and her hands crawled down her thighs. In a blink, rapid bullets erupted out of her guns. She paced over to Gladiolus as more soldiers crowded around him. Soldiers scattered around them, lifeless as they collided with the ground. Prompto noted the peculiarity of the bullets she fired; an orange glow surrounded them, almost as if fire encased them. There was no slot to reload ammunition. Her fingers pressed the triggers with speed.

Edith holstered her guns and wiped out her blade. She swayed to her right, fist tight around the hilt; she was ready to charged. Her assault was stopped short when she collided with a body. Her balance was thrown off but before she met the ground, an arm snake around her and brought her to stable feet. A daze lingered around her until gunfire snapped her out. She looked up at her rescuer; one of his eyes were closed as he took aim at the soldiers. She pushed herself off him and retightened the grip on the hilt.

"I'm sorry Edith, I didn't see you," the scarred man apologized. She narrowed her eyebrows and shook her head, brushing away the apology.

"Looks like someone's a little eager," Prompto teased as his smirk reappeared on his face. She turned away from both of them, returning to the assault.

She muted everything out and her mind slipped away. One by one soldiers fell down to their graves around her; this became a routine. Helmets cracked as her boot connected with them and once they were down she speared her blade into their chest. Prompto stayed close behind her, shooting soldiers who shoot too close to her. As he caught glimpses of her, she moved graceful but her actions were ruthless. The hand that she held her blade was peculiar; she was left handed. Gladiolus joined her, eliminating the risk of crowding.

Bullets continued to buzz around them. Beads of sweat dripped from each of their faces and dirt rubbed on their faces and exposed flesh. Strands of scarlet hair stuck to Edith's face. Her knuckles turned white from the grip she held on her blade and her eyebrows were centered. Gladiolus had received a few cuts on his face and arm; it gave him a much rougher look but his face never lost its liveliness. His chest rose and fell in pants. Prompto's arms had weighed more. He did not move as much as the other two but it cost a toll on him aiming and shooting quickly. Nevertheless his shooting was deadly accurate. He also had to be quick upon reloading.

There was a sudden stillness. The trio stared at the retreating backs of the soldiers. Their stance went limp and they stared at one another, curious at the army's retreat.

"What the hell?" Prompto questioned. He swung his shotgun and rested it on his shoulder.

"This is strange," Edith spoke. She sheathed her blade and gripped the ends of her bangs. Both males turned their attention to her. "Des' army has never retreated."

"Should we go after them?" Gladiolus asked.

She let go of her locks and gripped the bridge of her nose. She exhaled in thought and she tired to open range on her hearing. Silence. "No."

"What if they're recruiting?" Gladiolus questioned.

"No," she repeated. "They're retreating for another reason, but I just don't know for what."

"Maybe they're warning the rest of the army about us," Prompto said in confidence. His smirk danced his lips.

"Perhaps it is," Edith agreed.

"If that's the case then we should go after them," Gladiolus declared. Edith internally smiled at him; he reminded her of her tan friend. She simply shook her head at him.

"We've done enough," she began. She looked around to the fallen soldiers. She looked at the two males and a small smile graced on her lips. "You two did an excellent job." They were taken aback from her praise. The smile slowly subsided and she turned her back to them.

"Are you leaving?" Prompto eagerly asked and placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him. "You could stay with us." She parted her lips at his offer.

"Yeah, you are the expert here," Gladiolus complimented, tapping her on the arm. She hung her head and her lips quivered.

"That's right," a new voice broke threw. The trio turned around to the raven and the bespectacled man walking towards them. They both had the characteristics as them. The raven walked up to her. "We need you Edith. Please join us."

Edith stared at him. Crimson still possessed his eyes. Sweat dripped from his face and neck but there was no dirt on him. His lips were parted from one another as he panted. The muscles of his arms were tense. The shimmer still surrounded him. She noticed much more and she pressed her lips into a line. She refused to acknowledge anything more; he was a prince.

She nodded. "Of course," she paused. "Prince."

Noctis cringed at his proper title.

;;-

I noticed in my previous chapters there was no breaks, I'm sorry about that! This chapter is suppose to be about Edith building a bond with Prompto and Gladiolus because they remind her of Avel and Leo but she's not realizing that she building a bond.

I hope you liked it, I know it wasn't the best. Reviews are welcome!


	6. VI

Alright, I edited this chapter about seven times and still not satisfied. Y'all who story my story, I love you and I'm sorry if this is a boring chapter. I was gonna add more but it just didn't fit. Reviews are wanted and appreciated! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Edith and plot are mine.

/;;

The sun was at its time to start its slumber; slowly it touched the horizon. Its light grew dull giving the world an orange glow. The ground was still and the air was silent. Though the beautiful glow cast over, weary eyes saw dullness. Nothing was inviting for the eyes. They cast down to the ground where there laid two slots of uneven dirt. The eyes were fused with anger but something softened the look.

She fisted the two beautiful large stone in her hands. She felt the smooth, flawless texture. She let her sore fingers drop the rocks on the ground. Unsheathing her blade, she carefully touched the tip of her sword to the rock. Her hands were shaking; the ache was taking over her chest. She placed her bottom lip in between her teeth and bit down, causing the shaking to cease. She grabbed her sword at the end and slowly began carving the names of her deceased friends. She felt herself shaking as she finished one of the names. She bit down on her lip once more. Once she finished, she placed the stones at the end of the graves.

The stones at the head of the graves had their names engraved beautifully. The scarlet head stumbled to her knees at the foot of the graves. A sting surged through her and her body trembled. She gripped her chest in hopes to end the sting but it grew more intense. She was alone; she trembled more. No one was left in her world, no one she truly cared for- She stared in blankness at the two slots. Images rushed in her mind and her lips quivered. The distinctive smiles between the two.

"I could've prevented this," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so..sorry," she repeated. Warmness streamed down her cheeks. She greedily wiped away the unwanted tears but to her misfortune, more replaced them. She fisted her hands and pounded on the ground; her knuckles reddened at the contact. "Forgive me.."

Pressure made its way to her shoulders and ended her soft sobs. Hands gripped her but the hands were different from one another. A rush swarmed around her and their presence was noted. Everything around her took a halt. Her breath was trapped in her throat and a warm chill traveled down her spine.

"What are you doing?" a sly voice asked.

"You've never been the one to cry," a hoarse voice added.

Edith's eyes widened at their voices. She quickly snapped her head over her shoulder. Her sights found a dirt road, buildings in ruins, but no living being. The ache drilled in her chest. The pressure on her shoulders vanished but warmness was left. The warm chill however travelled through her skin. Her eyebrows centered; she blamed herself. Something internally ignited in her; she was becoming hollow. The corners of her lips tugged down; the villainous creature behind the war was going to be taken down. He took away the precious friendship she had and her emotions were beginning to fade. She was alone-


	7. NOTICE

Hello everyone!

It has been a while since I have updated this story, and I do apologize. To be honest, I started this story with a very brief plot and I didn't know where it was going to go. I had an idea, but it was going with slow progress and lost interest. I started workinow another story, BUT.. I will be continuing this story.

Though I am continuing, I will be rewriting. The plot will be different, taking _Rouge_ and making a 180. The story will still be called _Rouge _and Edith will still be in this. I'm still brainstorming, so I don't know how long it will take me to rewrite; it will be soon though!

Share your thoughts with me! See y'all soon!


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